The City of Boerne partnered with Kendall County on the purchase of a new mulch grinder for the county’s brush collection site.
The new machine, dubbed the Beast and built by Bandit, is a 35-inch capacity horizontal grinder that will recycle brush and limbs into mulch. The new machine came with a price tag of just over $700,000, with the City of Boerne agreeing to pay one-third over the next two fiscal years.
“The brush collection site is highly valued by residents of both Boerne and Kendall County, which was reflected in the City’s citizen survey last year,” City Manager Ben Thatcher said. “We are happy to partner with the county on this much-needed piece of equipment.”
“We are grateful to the City of Boerne for its support in the purchase of this new machine, which has already been put to use as the county’s dedicated staff work to clear a months-long backlog,” Kendall County Judge Darrel Lux said.
The county’s previous grinder, which was more than 20 years old, went out of commission about nine months ago after a crack formed in its frame. Pandemic-related manufacturing delays pushed back the arrival of the new grinder, but brush recycling is once again up and running as of October.
The county never stopped receiving brush drop-offs from residents, although commercial drop-offs were temporarily halted during the down period. The County Engineer's Office will bring an agenda item pertaining to the acceptance of brush from commercial customers to the Commissioners Court in November. Residents may continue to utilize the site for brush drop-offs and mulch pick-ups.
Visit the county’s website to learn more about the brush site.
(Boerne City Manager Ben Thatcher and Kendall County Judge Darrel Lux stand in front of the Beast.)